Scourge of BloodClan
by Pinefur
Summary: How did Scourge become the leader of BloodClan? Why is Bone his deputy? Why doesn't he believe in StarClan? This is about the life of Scourge. Each chapter is another point in Scourge's life so he gets older after each page.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! For people who have already read this, I did **_**not**_** update it. I want more people to read it, because I posted the entire thing at once, and also I accidentally copied chapter nine into chapter eight, so I fixed that.**

**If you are reading this for the first time, **_**please**_** review it. I only have five reviews. (okay, six, but one doesn't count because I reviewed it, too. I was impatient, okay? This was my first story. I was desperate for a review.) **

**Also, sorry. The chapters are waaaay long.  
**

**So here is my very first fanfic. Scourge of BloodClan.**

The small black kit opened its eyes for the first time.

The world was bright. Too bright. The kit closed his ice blue eyes again, shielding them with his paw, and squealed.

"He's awake, he's awake!" An excited purr rumbled through the air contentedly, along with two squeaking mews. A torrent of questions filled the air.

"Why are his eyes blue and ours amber?"

"Why doesn't he like the light?"

"What should his name be?"

"Night!" mewed one of the voices. "His name should be Night, because his fur is so dark!"

The black kit stared around, confused. He was underneath the root of a huge plant that seemed to reach to the sky. It had thin green shapes fluttering on the ends of its branches that would break off with a gust of wind. The kit looked up at the flapping things. He opened his mouth, and scents flooded his senses so quickly that he snapped it shut. Suddenly one of the green shapes broke away from the huge plant and fluttered down towards the black kit's face. The young cat reached up with his paw and tentatively touched the thin object. It brushed against his pad and he batted it away.

"Look at him, he's playing with the leaves!"

The kit started, squinting into the sunlight. There were three cats standing around him; two kits, one gray and one black, and a grown she-cat with fur the color of a storm cloud. He shivered as three pairs of amber eyes rested on his head. The gray kit on the ground mewed happily while the black one jumped around on one of the plant's roots. "He sees us! He sees us, Shadow!"

"I know, Storm!" meowed the black kit to the gray one. She scrambled across the plant's root until she was by the new kit's head. "Hi! I'm Shadow, your sister!" explained the young cat. She flicked her tail at the gray kit. "That's Storm. He's your brother, and mine too. That's our mother, Cinder, and our father is off getting fresh-kill. His name is Raven. We've met him, but you haven't, because you just opened your eyes. Storm and I opened our eyes the other day, and then we got our names. But we don't have a name for you yet. I want to name you Night, because you're all black like me, but Storm thinks that-."

"Slow down, Shadow," murmured the gray she-cat, Cinder. "He'll never understand you if you keep talking so fast." She looked warmly at her kits. "And we will decide what to name him when Raven gets back."

Shadow looked down at her paws, her black tail twitching anxiously. "I still want to name him Night," she muttered.

Storm rested his amber gaze on her. "No, Crow would be better." Shadow snapped her head up.

"Night."

"Crow."

"Night!"

"Crow!"

Shadow launched herself off of the plant's root with a hiss and crashed into Storm. The gray kit gave a yowl of protest and the two went tumbling across the dirt. The nameless black kit watched them, fascinated, as they fell into a pile of leaves, sending dust into the air. Cinder purred fondly. "They'll make great warriors someday." She looked at the new kit. "I'll mentor them, and you too. The she-cats always teach their kits. That is the way of BloodClan."

The black kit's ears twitched at the sound of the name. _BloodClan_. He was part of some Clan? "BloodClan?" he meowed, trying to work his mouth.

Cinder's eyes shone happily at the sight of her kit's attempt to speak. "Yes," she purred, dipping her head. "That is the Clan we belong to. It is the only way to survive in Twolegplace."

"Twolegplace?"

"Twolegs live here. They travel in the bellies of loud monsters and live in bright caves with straight walls. Some own kittypets – cats who stay with the Twolegs and live in their caves," she explained.

A roar sounded in the distance. "Was that a… a monster?" asked the black kit. Cinder touched her nose to his. "Yes," she meowed. "Never go under one. They have moving black circles that can flatten a cat in a heartbeat."

The black kit shuddered as another monster called. He didn't think he would ever get near one. "I won't."

Cinder nodded and raised her head. "Luckily, monsters rarely come here. Twolegs too, for that matter. Some leave their junk here, so the Twolegs avoid it." She gestured around with her gray tail. "See?"

The black kit staggered to his paws and looked around for the first time. There were leaves all over the dusty ground, as well as thin, colorful shreds of Twolegs stuff. Silvery cylinders with symbols on them also littered the dirt. The new kit sniffed at one nearby while Storm and Shadow got up and licked their fur. There was a sharp tang of a strange scent on the object. _Must be a Twoleg smell_, he thought. Looking up, the kit stared at the boundaries of the trash area, which were surrounded by a flimsy looking wall that seemed to be made of thin, silver twigs.

"That's a fence," meowed Cinder. It keeps things out." The kit nodded, blinking gratefully at his mother for her advice. He guessed the fence worked. There were no other creatures save for his family in the area. "Can I look around?"

"Of course."

The black kit took a few shaky steps, then reached the plant's root. He tried to climb up on it like Shadow had when he had opened his eyes. Sharp points came out of his paws when he flexed them and he gasped.

"Those are claws," explained the kit's mother. "They are extremely sharp, so you can scratch things with them. But don't cut me or Shadow, Storm and Raven. Only use them to catch fresh-kill, climb trees or attack cats who are trying to hurt you."

The black kit twitched his tail in acknowledgement, fascinated by his claws. He gripped the plant's root and heaved himself onto the top. Storm and Shadow clambered up beside him.

"This is a tree," meowed Shadow, flicking the rough pelt of the plant with her dark tail. "They can become really tall!"

"They are taller in the forest," mewed Storm.

Cinder gave him a hard look. "_Never_ go into the forest. There are cats who would steal the fur off your back for a mouse-tail or two."

"Oh, mice," purred Storm. "I hope we get some fresh-kill soon."

"Me too," agreed Shadow. "When do we learn to catch our own prey?"

Cinder sighed. "Kits," she muttered. "Always hungry, always impatient." She glanced at the young cats. "I'll start your training at sun-high tomorrow, but don't be surprised if there is no prey to hunt. There isn't a lot of fresh-kill in Twolegplace." She looked almost longingly at the tips of the trees that showed in the distance. "Unlike the forest."

The nameless kit stared at the gray she-cat. "But I thought you told us we could never go in the forest."

His mother erased the emotion from her face. "Oh, um, yes. It's just that when there is little prey then it can be a temptation to go there, but avoid it. Those scoundrel cats would kill a kit like you." Cinder tried to sound strict, but the longing for plentiful fresh-kill still showed in her amber eyes.

Suddenly Storm yowled as a new cat pushed it's way through a hole under the fence. The new kit tensed, feeling his black fur bristling. This cat, a tom, was dark-furred like him, with shining amber eyes like the other cats. "Wait," murmured Shadow to the new kit. "That's Raven, our father."

The black cat touched noses with Cinder, his mouth full of prey. The black kit suddenly realized how hungry he was.

"Mmmm, fresh-kill," purred Storm. He leaped down from the tree root and padded over to his father.

"She-cat's mates hunt for them when they are taking care of kits," meowed Shadow. "But otherwise every cat hunts for themselves in BloodClan."

Raven looked up. "The kit opened his eyes!" he exclaimed.

"I want to name him Night," mewed Shadow. "But Storm wants to name him Crow." Storm's gray fur bristled, his tail high in the air.

"Don't start fighting again," warned Cinder. "Anyway, we'll decide after we eat what his name will be."

Shadow's eyes narrowed. "Fine." She turned to the black kit. "Are you coming, or not?"

The kit jumped off the tree root and followed his sister to the small collection of fresh-kill. "That's a mouse," she explained. "That's a squirrel, and that's a, a…"

"Blackbird," meowed Raven. Storm examined the creature, prodding at two thin folds hanging off the prey. "Those are wings," purred his father. "Birds fly with them. Those things, the furry twigs, are feathers." Storm took a cautious mouthful of the fresh-kill, and spat out feathers.

Cinder shot him an amused look and Raven gave a _mrrow_ of laughter. "You don't have to eat the feathers."

The gray kit nodded, narrowing his amber eyes, and decided to have a mouse instead. Shadow took a small squirrel, while Cinder and Raven each choose a blackbird. The nameless kit sat by the only prey left in the pile – a scrawny mouse. He sniffed at it.

"Eat it!" mewed Storm. "They're really good."

The black kit bit a small piece of the flesh off the mouse. It _was_ good. He tried some more.

"Better than milk?" asked Cinder. The kit blinked.

"Kits drink milk when they are still blind," meowed Storm.

"Oh." The black kit watched as his brother finished his mouse. Storm eyed the black kit's mouse. "Are you going to eat that?"

"I guess not."

The gray kit shifted on his paws. "Can I have it?"

"No." Cinder interrupted, looking at him. "You already ate, and your brother needs the food more than you do. He's only had two mouthfuls, and you devoured a whole mouse. "

"I'm still hungry," Storm protested.

Raven fixed his amber gaze on his kit. "You'll be hungry enough if you live in Twolegplace. We're lucky that I caught this much prey. There isn't a lot, and some cats have to eat leftover Twoleg food from silver cans. Of course, you'll have to learn to hunt for yourself – and fight. Other cats might try to steal your fresh-kill."

Storm flexed his claws, looking anxious at the prospect of attacking any cat who tried to steal his prey. He hissed and leaped onto an imaginary foe, slashing at the ground with his short claws. Cinder put a paw out to stop him.

"We need a name for the kit," she meowed. Shadow finished her squirrel and sat down, glaring at Storm. Her brother returned her gaze but said nothing.

"Don't be that upset over a name," exclaimed Raven. "It probably won't be either Night or Crow, anyhow." He looked up thoughtfully at the darkening sky, amber eyes fixed on something in the distance. No cat made a noise for a few moments. Then Raven got up and murmured something in Cinder's ear. Storm's and Shadow's ears twitched, trying to understand what was being said.

Cinder nodded, and she padded over to the black kit, whose eyes were wide with anticipation. The she-cat lowered her head and licked the kit's ear.

"Welcome," she murmured. "Scourge."


	2. Chapter 2

Silence.

Silence was key. Slipping over the dusty ground smoothly and not making a sound, not a noise to alert the prey. _Silent. Like a snake_. Whatever a snake was. It was just an expression used by cats in BloodClan to mean silent and quickly. _Almost there. And…pounce!_

A light brown shape hurtled across the grass, snatching the mouse a heartbeat before the black cat's claws pierced it. The mud-colored cat sprinted away, leaving a taunting scent in Scourge's face. The young cat yowled a challenge and raced after the thief, his dark fur standing on end. _How dare Leech always steal my prey?_ he wondered angrily, dodging a Twoleg monster while running across the street. The fiend wasn't much older than him, eight moons, but was larger. All of the cats were, even Storm and Shadow, his brother and sister. Scourge was smaller than any cat, a runt, Leech called him. Because of this he was the main target for taunts and fights.

Scourge sprinted through at least a dozen Twoleg yards and into a park. How like Leech to come here! He would climb the tallest tree and eat the fresh-kill while Scourge tried to climb the huge plant. By the time Scourge could heave himself onto a branch Leech would have devoured the entire mouse. It was a wonder that Scourge didn't starve; he couldn't remember the last time he ate good fresh-kill, without Leech or some other cat taking it, but he must have sometime, or he would have died. And he would _never_ eat Twoleg junk. Scourge wrinkled his nose. Twolegs were repulsive.

Up ahead a Scourge caught sight of a sleek brown shape darting up a tree. The small black cat snarled and raced to the tall plant, then leaped up. His claws scrabbled for a hold on the rough pelt of the tree, but he slid down the bark like had happened every time before. _Curse being a runt!_ he hissed in his mind.

Leech sat calmly in the top branches of the tree, licking his pelt. "Having a bit of trouble there, Scourge?" meowed the cat tauntingly.

"You'll pay for this, Leech!" spat Scourge angrily.

Leech pretended to look surprised. "Are you sure? You say that every time I catch your fresh-kill, but you've never done anything." The cat watched Scourge's attempts to climb the tall plant, green eyes shining smugly.

Scourge felt his dark fur bristle with anger. If only he was a big and powerful as Storm and Shadow! _Then_ this cat hiding in the tree would respect him! "Coward!" he growled. "You're too afraid too fight me."

The brown cat ignored him and breathed in the scent of the mouse. "Wonderful. Shame you couldn't catch it." His tail flicked in the air in mock pleasure, though the real joy came in annoying Scourge. And it was working. Scourge felt his muscles tense, and he crouched in a fighting stance.

Leech centered the mouse on a branch. "Hmmm, Runt. At least your fur makes you look bigger when it sticks out like that. Makes you look like an oversized hedgehog."

Scourge yowled and launched himself at Leech, claws unsheathed. He missed his opponent by far, but he landed on a low hanging tree limb. The brown thief, taken by surprise, gripped his branch as the tree shook slightly, but the mouse fell off the limb it was on. Scourge hissed triumphantly and leapt after it, watched by surrounding Twolegs and a pair of smoldering green eyes. The black cat grabbed the mouse and raced off, sure that Leech was right behind him.

_I've got to remember that!_ he thought. _Surprise your enemy_. The warm taste of the mouse flooded his mouth, and the flavor of victory was mixed into it. But where could he go to escape the fury of Leech and his equally taunting friends? _Home_. Of course! Hopefully Leech wouldn't know about the hole under the fence that provided an entrance to the Twoleg trash area.

Quickly Scourge veered off to the left, cutting across a street, or as some cats called them, a Thunderpath. His adversary screeched in surprise at the black cat's tactic, and had to skid to a halt and get in the correct direction. At the next street Scourge turned to the right, feeling welcome pleasure in Leech's yowls. The brown fiend wasn't exceptionally agile.

The young cat took advantage of the extra time to take a short cut to the Twoleg trash area through a dark, narrow street. With luck Leech wouldn't take the time to scent him out and would keep going forward. The brown feline wasn't very smart, just strong. _Both a strange and weakness_, Scourge realized as he sprinted along the shadows.

Suddenly there was light, and the sun warmed Scourge's dark fur as he panted. The fence to the Twoleg trash area was looming up ahead. Cinder was by the lone tree, sharing tongues with Shadow. The two she-cats looked up as Scourge ran by, gripping the mouse in his teeth. Shadow rose to her paws as her brother raced around the edge of the trash area, which was about twenty tail lengths away from the tree. Scourge wriggled through the hole under the fence and pushed a large piece of Twoleg trash in front of the opening before setting the mouse down. He gasped for air as his sister padded over.

"What are you-?"

She didn't finish her question. A furious yowl sounded from outside the fence. All three cats turned to see Leech leap at the fence, trying to climb its slippery surface.

"Oh," meowed Shadow, blinking sympathetically at Scourge. A purr rose suddenly from her throat. "You did it," she congratulated him. "You finally escaped Leech." The dark-furred she-cat licked his ear.

Scourge was still panting too hard too tell them the whole story. "Got… mouse," he gasped prodding the fresh-kill.

Cinder's amber eyes shone happily; she knew that he had been taunted by Leech and the other cats.

"Yes," snarled a voice. The brown cat, Leech, was sitting at the edge of the fence. Scourge was surprised that Leech had come so quickly. Maybe he wasn't as dumb as he seemed. "Yes, you got the mouse! But that was just luck. I will steal all of your prey from now on, I swear! You will starve! And I will _kill_ you!" Leech's green eyes met Scourge's dark ones, and they raged with a cold fire. Then he looked into Shadow's amber eyes and hissed, "Don't help him fight me, or I'll rip you to shreds! And that goes for your gray brother too." His gaze slid back over to Scourge. "We are far from finished, Runt!" he spat, then ran back into the shadows and raced away.

Shadow didn't even try to conceal a snort of contempt. "Rip me to shreds, hardly! He hasn't even got a collar, he's probably too scared to even try!"

Scourge looked up at his sister. "You got yours?" Indeed, there was a pale red band around her black neck.

"Just today!" purred Cinder. "Now she can be a warrior of BloodClan!" Shadow looked modestly at the ground. "It wasn't all that hard." She looked warmly at Scourge. "You'll probably get yours soon, and Storm too."

_Warrior of BloodClan!_ Scourge thought. He liked the sound of it. Looking up at his sister's collar, he felt a strong urge to get one. Not a kittypet collar, no. No true cat would ever get one, no true cat would ever be a _kittypet_. How cruel it must be to sit in a Twoleg cave, be fed soft mush and never go outside. True, warrior collars and kittypet collars were both given by Twolegs, but warrior collars had teeth from defeated enemies on them. Not that most cats like killing, but being part of BloodClan was the only way to survive in Twolegplace, and becoming a warrior was exhilarating, exciting enough to get most cats to kill their enemies. The hard part was escaping the Twolegs who gave you the collar. Countless cats hadn't left the Twolegs and were now captive kittypets. "How did you do it?"

Shadow looked at her paws. "I went up to a Twoleg, one of the kits. It took me inside its cave where two grown Twolegs were. They said something to each other, and then they put me on the floor. After a few minutes the kit came in and put the collar on me. As soon as it did that I leaped through an open window and ran back here."

"That's amazing!" meowed Scourge, his tail lashing the air happily. Shadow's eyes sparkled warmly and Scourge found himself wishing that he had amber eyes instead of blue ones. He was the only cat in his family that had ice-blue eyes, and hadn't seen any others. There probably was another blue-eyed cat somewhere in BloodClan. He hadn't seen all the warriors of the Clan – well, no cat had. But Scourge had seen even less cats than most because his family lived a little ways away from the main part of the Clan, where the leader lived. Cinder had told him it was dangerous to live near the other cats because if you did something they didn't like, they would drive you away or kill you. The leader of BloodClan, Hawkfeather, was impulsive and would sometimes lash out at random cats for no reason. _Yes_, thought Scourge. _It is better to live farther away_. But part of him longed to meet other cats, and to build a friendship with them. Scourge doubted that he would ever have a true friend though, and he knew he would have plenty of enemies like Leech.

Scourge flinched suddenly. When he thought about Leech a strange coldness came over him, blocking out any happiness in his mind. _Leech will pay_, he thought angrily.

"Aren't you going to eat your mouse?"

"What?" Scourge batted the thought of Leech away as he would a leaf. Shadow was looking strangely at him. "Oh, the mouse, yes." He crouched down and started to eat. Shadow padded over. "Are you okay?" she asked, glancing at Cinder, who sat down a few tail lengths away.

Scourge blinked at her, narrowing his eyes. "Of course."

His sister stared down at him. "Your eyes got cold and icy looking, Scourge."

"My eyes _are_ icy, Shadow. They're ice-blue."

The she-cat glanced around. "But not like this. You looked…" she leaned her head down. "Like you wanted to rip out some cat's throat."

Scourge sprang to his paws. "What?" he screeched. "I would never want to do that!" He glared at his sister as Cinder turned to them, looking concerned. "What are you talking about?" he hissed in a quieter voice.

Shadow blinked. "I think that you were thinking about Leech. What makes you so angry about him?"

"Angry?" snapped Scourge. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because he taunts me and steals my prey and now has sworn to kill me. Do you think that's why?"

Shadow reeled back as if stung. "Never mind!" she spat, stalking away. "I was just asking!"

Scourge watched her walk over to Cinder, feeling a hint of guilt at hurting his sister. But what right did she have to say that he was going to murder another cat, even one like Leech? The tom hissed and finished eating the mouse. _What if Shadow's right, though?_ he wondered. There was a cold feeling inside him every time he thought about the cruel and taunting Leech. _She's wrong,_ Scourge decided. He curled into a ball and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on, come on. Do you want to be a BloodClan warrior or not?"

Scourge narrowed his eyes at his gray-furred brother who sat calmly underneath the bushes at the edge of a Twoleg cave. Of _course_ he wanted to be a warrior. The hard part was getting the collar and escaping the Twolegs.

"Easy for you to say," he hissed. "You've already got your collar." It was true. Storm, not to be outdone by Shadow, had decided to get his collar the day after his sister had. He came back home wearing it triumphantly, though Shadow had ignored his boasts and pride. Now it was a few days after that, and Scourge was itching to become a warrior as well.

Storm glanced up at the small black cat. "Hey, I had to do this too," he meowed. "It's hard to go into that cave and come back out, but I'm here, aren't I." He gave Scourge's head a quick lick. "Any cat who can steal fresh-kill from Leech and not have his pelt clawed off can easily escape a mere Twoleg."

"_He_ stole it from _me_!" protested Scourge.

"Sure, Scourge. Now, look. You _have_ to get a collar, or you'll never be a warrior."

"Better not a warrior than a kittypet," the black cat shot back.

Storm sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? They won't turn you into a kittypet." Scourge was silent. "Unless, of course, you don't want to be a warrior." He stood up and flicked his gray tail across his brother's face.

"All right! All right!" exclaimed Scourge. "I'll do it." Storm gave him a cool look and crouched down.

"When a Twoleg comes along, walk up to it and purr," meowed the warrior. "They'll take you inside. Try not to run until they fasten your collar on. Then bolt like dogs are snapping at your tail."

Scourge shuddered. He had had one encounter with a dog before and didn't want to meet one again in a hurry. "Right, dogs."

"If you get away…"

"_If_."

"You'll have a collar, and be a warrior of BloodClan."

Scourge eyed his brother's blue collar but said nothing. Soon teeth that signified a skilled warrior would cover the blue color of the rough band. The cold feeling of readiness to kill swept over him as it had after the dispute with Leech and he tensed, shaking the horrible emotion away.

Suddenly a Twoleg kit walked up to the house. "Now!" cried Storm. Scourge was frozen to the spot. "Go, you black-furred idiot!" the gray feline hissed, and brought his teeth together in Scourge's tail.

Scourge yowled and darted out from under the cover of the bush. The Twoleg stopped and turned to look at him, saying something in its crow-like voice. Scourge crept forward towards the kit and tried to purr, though he would have liked to snarl and leap onto his brother. The Twoleg gave a squeal of delight and picked the cat up.

Scourge tried not to struggle as Twoleg scent swallowed him up. The horrible smell was everywhere, and Scourge closed his ice-blue eyes in defeat. Then he was inside the cave. Two older Twolegs looked up at him as the kit carried him happily across the room. Scourge was anything but happy, and twisted free of the little Twoleg's grasp. He landed on the floor and prepared to run, but remembered what Storm had said._ Storm will be sorry for biting me_, the black cat thought with gritted teeth, and he licked his tail with gentle, slow strokes.

When Scourge glanced up the Twolegs were arguing about something. The kit seemed very persistent, and one of the older Twoleg finally sighed. It walked out of the room, and Scourge could barely believe that the creature could balance on just two legs. After it left, Scourge felt rough hands grip him, and the kit picked him up. It murmured soft words and rubbed Scourge's black pelt. The cat barely resisted the powerful urge to claw its hands to pieces. Suddenly it let him go as another cat stumbled into the room. The cat, a flame colored kit no more than one or two moons old, stared up at Scourge as he padded over. The kit sniffed at the dark cat's black pelt and a bell on its collar jingled.

"What are you doing here?" snarled Scourge. "Why do you live with the Twolegs, when you could be free?"

The kittypet blinked incredulously at him as if he couldn't understand the newcomer. Scourge sighed. This pitiful cat would never know the feeling of tracking down prey or chasing other cats up a tree.

The older Twoleg came back from another room in the cave. It carried a gray strip of Twoleg stuff. _A collar_. Scourge tried to breathe steadily. He would become a warrior in a few heartbeats! The ginger kit mewed faintly. Scourge stared at it, trying to see the name on its collar. _RUSTY_, read the piece of metal hanging from the band that was behind the bell. Scourge narrowed his eyes, and then the Twoleg crouched down by him, talking in its raucous voice. _This is it_, thought Scourge._ This is it._ Time seemed to slow down as the Twoleg reached around Scourge's neck. _Must _not _bite, _the cat hissed in his mind. As the Twoleg fastened the collar, Scourge tensed, ready to leap out of the way. As the band clicked, he yowled and bolted from the Twoleg.

The kit squealed in protest and the one of the older Twolegs yelled. The other seemed to scold the kit. Scourge ignored them and raced into another room, searching for an open window. He ran around a corner, under a table and then a draft hit him. There! The invisible barrier on a window above a counter was pulled open. Scourge hissed triumphantly and leapt onto the counter. He glanced back at the Twolegs just before he scrambled out of the window. The flame colored kit, Rusty, was staring at him, green eyes wide. Scourge turned and jumped onto the rough grass outside. He scurried across the lawn and hastily climbed onto the fence bordering the Twoleg land.

The Twolegs opened a doorway in their cave. The kit ran for him, arms outstretched. Scourge prepared himself to jump down the other side of the fence, but a new scent made him stop.

_The forest_.

It was sitting behind him, just beyond the fence. Scourge felt every hair on his pelt bristle. Cinder had told him all about the murderous cats in the forest. The tom turned back to the Twolegs just as the kit reached him. With a howl, the black cat jumped and disappeared into the trees.

Scourge crawled under a bush just as the Twoleg kit cried out. The older Twolegs seemed unwilling to give chase; they turned and led the wailing kit back into the house. Scourge took a deep breath and almost jumped at the myriad prey-scents. There was mouse, squirrel, and various smells of other furry creatures. Also bird, and a musky scent that smelled of some type of meat-eater.

Scourge looked into the depths of the forest in front of him. Surely the deceitful cats who lived there wouldn't mind if he just took a mouse or something to eat. The warrior's eyes narrowed. _That would be something to show Leech!_ he thought. _I can catch prey in the forest!_ Forgetting everything Cinder had told him about the treacherous cats in the forest he crept forward.

A movement made Scourge pause. It was a mouse nibbling on a seed, unaware of the ice-blue eyes watching it. Scourge crouched down, and–

The mouse leapt away a heartbeat before Scourge's paws reached it. It scurried into a hole under a tree root and the dark warrior hissed in frustration. These mice were more sensitive than the ones in Twolegplace.

Scourge tasted the air to try to find other prey, but a new scent made him freeze. _Cats!_ Probably four of them, moving steadily his way. Scourge stiffened, struggling to decide

which way to jump.

It was too late. The cats appeared in front of him, and they looked as surprised to see him as he was to see them. But after a brief moment a dark brown tabby jumped at Scourge, claws extended. "Get away, kittypet!" he screeched.

Scourge hissed, and felt his fur bristled. He was no kittypet! But the dark tom was too big for him to fight. Thinking quickly, Scourge whipped to one side just as the cat landed where his paws had been a heartbeat before. The black furred warrior unsheathed his claws and scored them across the cat's back. The forest cat yowled in surprise and swiped at him, but Scourge turned and ran before the tabby's unusually long claws could scratch him.

Scourge heard the cats' meows behind him as he jumped back onto the Twoleg fence that loomed in front of him.

"…not a kittypet, Tigerclaw?" mewed one.

Scourge didn't hear the dark cat's reply; he bolted across the grass behind the Twoleg cave and into the front yard. Racing into the street, the warrior was aware of a gray shape following him: Storm.

After a few more moments Scourge slowed down and turned to face Storm. "You bit me!" he spat, clawing the grass on the ground of the Twoleg yard.

The gray cat sat down and licked a forepaw calmly. "You got a collar, though, and you wouldn't have gone in the cave otherwise."

"Oh, right," meowed Scourge, feeling his anger die down a bit. It was true, he supposed. Twolegs weren't the kind of creature you would willingly go up to and purr at. The black warrior turned around and padded forward, towards home.

"What took you so long?" asked Storm.

Scourge flicked his tail towards the forest. "I went in the forest."

Storm froze. "What?"

Scourge quickly told his brother about the Twolegs and the escape into the forest. "Please don't tell Cinder," he meowed. "She'll never let me out of the Twoleg trash area again."

"I won't tell," promised Storm. "Anyway, it seems like you were fine in the forest."

"Pretty much."

"You went in the _forest_?"

Scourge turned and saw another cat looking at him, surprised. The dark warrior leapt around as he felt his fur bristle. It was Bone, a black and white cat with green eyes, almost as big as Leech but the same age as Scourge, and with a red collar on his neck. Despite the size difference, Scourge hissed at Bone, unafraid. "What do you want?"

The cat blinked. "You said that you went in the forest. Is that true? It would be something to tell the others, like Leech and Boulder and-."

Scourge growled. "So now you're Leech's minion too, Bone?"

Bone took a step back. "No! I think he's a bully as much as you do. But he would envy you if he found out that you had gone into the forest. It could make some of the other cats respect you."

"Really?" Scourge glanced at Storm.

Bone snorted. "Do you think any of them would ever go in the forest? Leech is a coward."

"Hmm." Scourge felt his fur lie flat again. "Why are you out here in the middle of Twolegplace instead of with the other cats where you live?"

Bone shrugged. "Mint was telling the other cats kit's tales about StarClan again. You know Mint, believing in every other story that comes his way. I mean, clans in the sky? It's all a bit strange if you ask me."

"I don't know," admitted Scourge. He had liked the tales that Cinder had told him when he was young. "It is strange, but what would happen to cats when they die?"

Bone flicked his tail. "They just die. BloodClan is the only real clan, I say."

"Come on, Scourge," meowed Storm. "No StarClan cats helped you get that collar. You did it yourself."

"I guess so." Scourge considered what the two cats had said. Storm was right; he hadn't seen any ghost warriors appear to aid him when he was trying to escape to Twolegs and the wild cats. A flicker a doubt at the stories ran through the black-furred warrior. "Yes, you're probably right."

Bone nodded. "I have to catch some fresh-kill." He turned, his tail lashing the air mischievously. "Leech will go berserk when he hears that you went into the forest."

"And came back out," added Storm as the black and white warrior padded down the street. "Well," he mewed, once Bone was gone. "One more cat who you don't have to worry about them clawing your pelt out."

Scourge dipped his head. His brother looked up at the falling sun. "We should get back home soon."

The small black cat purred. "Fine with me." He stepped forward. "Race you, Storm."

The gray cat's eyes glinted. "You'll never win," he warned.

"We'll see who wins!" Scourge darted forward and raced across the street, Storm at his heels.


	4. Chapter 4

Scourge was gasping for air by the time he made it to the Twoleg trash area. Storm had surely beaten him – again. But his was sure that he was even faster than last time he had raced his brother. Slowing down, the cat studied the shadows for a sleek gray shape. "I know you're here, Storm. You can't hide forever, like a trembling mouse."

There was a yowl and a furry body slammed into his side. "Hey!" Storm pushed himself off of his brother and landed easily on the ground a few tail lengths away. Scourge leapt up narrowed his eyes, flicking his tail from side to side.

Storm raised a paw, his claws sheathed, and swatted at the black warrior. Scourge ducked to the right as another paw came crashing down. Storm sprang at the cat, but Scourge jumped nimbly to one side and his brother came crashing onto the ground. The black warrior pinned Storm onto the dusty pathway before the cat could stand again.

Scourge released his brother, and Storm stood up after a few heartbeats. "That was good!" he admitted. "Never saw that coming."

"I've been practicing with Cinder," Scourge meowed happily. "I'll beat any cat in a fight."

"How about a dog?" asked Storm. "You need to get dog's teeth on your collar." He looked thoughtful, as if seeing himself getting his first tooth on his collar.

"I don't want to get near a dog, much less attack one. I almost lost my tail last time I saw one."

"But you need dog's teeth on there," complained Storm. "If you want to be a warrior."

"I thought I already _was_ a warrior," meowed Scourge.

"Yeah, but not a skilled warrior. Skilled warriors have teeth on their collars."

Scourge sighed. "Fine, but I'm not going to get some right _now_. I probably couldn't beat Leech."

"No," smirked Storm.

Scourge hissed at his brother. "You said so yourself!" protested Storm. "You just said you couldn't beat Leech."

The black cat looked into his brother's eyes. "I _will_ beat Leech someday," he spat. "I will! He will be sorry he ever taunted me! I-." He broke off as he saw his brother back away nervously, his gray face changed by fear. "What, Storm? What is it?"

Storm hissed. "Can you hear yourself, Scourge? Do you know what you're saying?"

Scourge froze. "I didn't mean it!"

"Then why did you say it?"

Scourge blinked, startled. "I-I'm just mad at Leech! Come on, Storm."

The gray warrior growled. "Go away!"

"What?"

"Go away!" Storm raised a paw and swiped at Scourge.

"I really didn't-!" Scourge wailed, ducking under the gray paw. He was too late, and the paw whacked him on one side of his head, cutting off his protest. A sharp pain blinded Scourge momentarily and he felt hot liquid dripping from his ear; Storm's claws were unsheathed.

"Leave!" the cat screeched feverishly. "You'll kill Leech and you'll kill us! Stay away!"

Scourge turned as sharp teeth snapped together a whisker away from his tail. "Storm!" He started running before the frenzied cat could rake claws down his side or do something crazy like that. Storm's scent faded as the warrior raced down the dark alley. The ground was cold, cooled by the night air as the sun disappeared below the horizon. _What can Storm be thinking?_ Scourge hissed in his mind as he left the Twoleg trash area behind him.

The cat kept running as the moon rose. _StarClan,_ he thought, looking up at the bright points of light beginning to show in the sky. I_f you are real, please help me now!_ But the stars were as cold and silent as they had ever been. "StarClan, right!" Scourge growled. "Sure! Kit's tales!" And he kept on running.


	5. Chapter 5

The moon was just setting, and light beginning to show on the sky, by the time Scourge made it back to the Twoleg trash area. Storm and Shadow barely glanced up when he came through the hole under the fence. Only Cinder licked his ear in greeting, but Scourge could feel the she-cat trembling as she pressed her pelt to his. Raven was nowhere to be seen, but toms did not usually stay around after their kits had grown enough.

"Hi, Storm, Shadow," whispered Scourge. His brother and sister nodded briefly, but said nothing.

"Give them time," murmured Cinder. "They just want to avoid you. Let them, for a few days, and they'll see." But she didn't sound completely certain, and Scourge knew that his mother was scared of both him and of what Storm might do.

The black cat padded alone to the single tree in the Twoleg trash area. "Is this how you feel?" he whispered to the great plant. "Being by yourself, with no one who cares about you?" The tree was as silent as the stars had been, except for the rustling of its leaves in the wind. "Even _you_ won't listen!" he hissed, though he didn't really expect the tree to talk.

Scourge saw Storm and Shadow move away from him as he turned towards them. _What? Do they think I could kill them?_ He thought angrily._ I'm a runt! I couldn't give either of them a single scratch, even if I _did_ want to_._ And I don't!_

Shadow finally looked at her brother. "You're back, then," she mewed. Scourge couldn't tell if she was being unfriendly or not.

"Yes."

Suddenly Storm stood up angrily, his tail lashing in the air. "Get away!" he spat. "Leave us alone!"

"Storm-," Cinder started, but the gray tom silenced her with a cold glare and the she-cat gave a startled gasp. "You would kill any cat who bothers you, Scourge," continued the warrior in a cold voice. "I've seen how you hate Leech. Your eyes give you away. Shadow knows it, too."

Scourge's tail brushed against the tree's root as he backed away from Storm. Why was his brother acting like some possessed demon thing? "I don't get it! What-?"

Storm cut him off with a hiss, unsheathing his long claws. "You won't kill Shadow and me. Leave! You have no place here!" He looked straight at Scourge, this time without flinching. "Go! Now!"

Scourge stared at him, eyes wide with terror. "Storm, why are you-?"

The gray warrior leapt at him, his teeth bared. Scourge barely whipped to the side before razor sharp claws slashed the air where his head had been a heartbeat before. "Storm!" cried Cinder as the tom leapt onto a tree root. Storm hissed and slashed at his brother again. Scourge ducked, but Storm's paw slammed into him, and he crashed onto the ground. Storm leapt down and stood furiously over the small black warrior. "Now," he spat, his eyes burning, "You will never hurt any cat!"

He raised his claws into the air, ready to bring them down on his brother. Scourge rolled under Storm as the cat slashed, and pushed upwards. Storm flew back a tail length and landed on the ground heavily. Scourge hesitated, and in that moment Storm was up and towering over him again. By instinct Scourge raked his claws across the furry gray pelt over him. Blood spurted into his face, but he ignored it and squirmed away from his brother.

Storm gasped in surprise and pain, toppling backwards into Shadow. The she-cat yowled and pushed him away as Scourge raced over to the hole under the fence. The warrior wriggled under the trash area boundary and bolted away from his furious brother and into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

It seemed a moon before Scourge found Bone sitting in the Twoleg park, though it was just barely past sunrise. The black and white cat was practicing his climbing skills on a sturdy tree, scrambling up the branches even faster than Leech had. Scourge watched him for awhile, then meowed, "That's great, Bone!"

Bone turned and leapt down from the tree, his eyes shining happily. "I'm really fast now!" he purred. "Faster than any other cat!" He paused. "What is it?"

Scourge sank onto the grass, and told the warrior everything. "I can't go back now," he complained.

Bone looked thoughtful. "You could come stay with the other cats in the main part of BloodClan."

"What?"

The black and white cat shrugged. "If you can't go back then you could live where most of the cats live. As long as you don't mind Mint telling old stories about Clans in the sky.

Scourge blinked. "Really?"

"Sure," meowed Bone. "Leaf will understand. Any cat should be able to live somewhere where he won't have his pelt clawed off. Although," he added, "That might happen if you get on Razor's nerves."

Scourge looked around nervously. "Who's Razor?"

Bone closed his eyes. "He follows Hawkfeather. You'll be able to recognize him. He stands out." The cat stood. "We'd better go soon."

The two cats walked along the streets of Twolegplace. "I've never been to the main part of the Clan," Scourge admitted.

"It's fine," meowed Bone. "As long as you don't bother any cat too much."

"What's Hawkfeather like?" Scourge asked.

"Oh, he's small, but not as small as you," meowed Bone. "He's usually okay, except when he is angry. Then watch out."

Scourge nodded, grateful for this advice.

Then Bone turned down a dark alley, and Scourge saw the heart of BloodClan for the first time.

There were cats everywhere; on Twoleg cans, in boxes, fighting for a scrap of Twoleg junk to eat. All of the cats were scrawny and starved, with a cruel look in their eyes. They kept their claws unsheathed, and almost all of them had countless teeth hanging down from worn collars. Scourge saw dog's teeth, and… cat's teeth? Scourge gasped. He needed to have _cat's_ teeth on his collar?

Bone flicked him with his tail uneasily. "Come on. It's better than this, really." He padded quickly away and Scourge followed, watched steadily by cold, hard eyes.

The alley opened up into a clearing between abandoned Twoleg caves and a brick wall. Scourge gasped. It was almost as large as the Twoleg trash area. Cats were clustered around certain points of the open space, sharing tongues and eating fresh-kill or Twoleg leftovers. Scourge wrinkled his nose. The scent of crow-food was everywhere.

"Stop it," muttered Bone. "Try not to offend any cat yet." He looked up suddenly as a huge golden-brown tom with icy eyes lumbered over. "Razor," he hissed quietly.

"Hello there, Bone," growled the tom. "Bring a new friend? Or is he fresh-kill?" The tom spat the last words at Scourge.

"I brought him because his brother tried to kill him!" protested Bone.

Razor narrowed his ice blue eyes. "He couldn't fight him?"

"I slashed him," meowed Scourge angrily. At the moment he didn't care if any cat would attack him for hurting his own brother; he just wanted to belong somewhere. "That's how I got enough time to escape."

Razor glared at him. "So you are useful for _something_, at least, then."

Scourge bent into a fighting stance, anger clouding what Bone had told him about Razor. "More than _you_ are, you stupid furball!"

The golden-brown warrior's eyes widened and he furiously unsheathed his claws. "Why, you-!"

"What's this?"

Scourge turned to see a dark brown tom and white tortoiseshell she-cat padding over. Razor hissed at them, crouching down. "Nothing!"

The tortoiseshell blinked at the new black warrior standing uncomfortably between the angry cats. "Who are you?"

"Um, Scourge. Bone brought me here." Scourge's tail lashed the air anxiously as the she-cat looked at Bone.

"Not another mouth to feed!" she mewed.

The brown tom stepped forward. "Don't mind Leaf. She would be upset even if there were enough fresh-kill for every cat."

"Psst!" spat Leaf. For a heartbeat Scourge wasn't sure if Bone was correct when he told him that Leaf would understand his need for a home.

"My name is Mint," meowed the tom, ignoring Leaf's response. "I'm the kind-of-medicine cat and storyteller, and a good one if I may say so myself." Scourge heard Bone sigh and twitched his ears. "This is Mint?"

"Yes," meowed Razor, cutting Bone's reply off with a hiss. "Mint, the lazy old cat who can barely catch his own prey and instead sits in the sun telling kit's tales." His voice had more then a hint of disgust.

Mint seemed indifferent. "So Bone brought you, eh?" he asked, taking no notice of Razor's smoldering eyes. "And he told you about me?"

Scourge blinked. "Yes."

"Interesting," said the old tom, and he padded away with Leaf right behind him, her fur bristling. Razor growled and followed the two cats with his tail high in the air.

Bone let out his breath in a hiss. "That was close." He stared sternly at Scourge. "You're lucky Mint came along. You would have been crow-food!"

Scourge looked down at his paws. "I couldn't just sit there," he protested.

Bone blinked thoughtfully. "Well," he meowed. "At least you showed that you don't have to listen to mouse-brains. That will bring respect – and trouble." He gestured with his tail at the surrounding cats. Some seemed excited that some cat had actually stood up to Razor, but others glared at him with a cold fury. Scourge met their eyes without cringing and they turned away in distain, tails lashing the air. "You know," he meowed after a moment. "I think I'll like it here."

Bone let out a _mrrow_ of laughter. "Maybe you should go hunting. If you bring back good fresh-kill, then maybe the Clan will except you more."

"Why don't they hunt for themselves?" asked Scourge.

Bone shrugged. "Some don't catch anything except greencough, and others can't hunt worth a mouse-tail. It doesn't really matter to any cat who hunts or not as long as they all get some food at the end of the day, except for the ones who actually catch the food. They think that any cat who can't hunt can just starve."

Scourge nodded. "I guess I will try to get some fresh-kill." He started to pad away.

"Wait – Scourge?" meowed Bone.

Scourge turned. "What?"

Bone looked around nervously. "Try to avoid Razor."

The small black cat twitched his ears in acknowledgement and stepped away.


	7. Chapter 7

_Yes!_

Scourge picked up the dead mouse in his teeth and twirled his tail triumphantly. _The Clan will have to except me now!_ he thought, placing the fresh-kill under a bush to hide it. So far there were two scrawny squirrels and a chaffinch that was especially slow in taking off for its flight. With satisfaction the warrior placed the mouse by the squirrels and parted his jaws to taste the air. There was tons of prey today, if you could trace it under the Twoleg stench; it was an exceptionally good time to catch some food, better than most days.

Suddenly there was the scent of another squirrel. Scourge raced along its track, then suddenly realized that there was a cat scent following the same prey. With a jolt the black cat realized that it was Leech. Narrowing his eyes, Scourge put on an extra burst of speed. _Let's see how Leech likes having his prey stolen!_

The scent rounded a corner into a dark street. Scourge slowed down and crept forward stealthily. _There!_ A plump squirrel – larger than most in Twolegplace – nibbled on a seed as it was unwarily being stalked. Slowly Scourge crept towards it. _Almost there_._ And…pounce!_

With a yowl, a heavy object fell onto him. The squirrel squealed and dropped the seed, racing off. Scourge barely had wriggled out from under the thing when claws scored down his side.

"Not so brave now to get your prey now, huh?" a voice snarled in his ear.

"Leech!" Scourge spat, as he turned to face the light brown cat. Behind Leech was another, pale gray-furred, warrior. Scourge had seen him with Leech once before; the cat was named Dust.

"That's right!" hissed Leech. "I've come to fulfill my promise." He leapt at Scourge and the two spitting warriors tumbled across the ground as a hissing ball of fur and claws. Dust snarled and waited for an opening.

"What's that?" growled Scourge as he slashed Leech across his back.

The brown cat bit down on Scourge's tail. "To kill you!" He rolled away from the black warrior, then stood. "Now!"

Leech launched himself at Scourge, but the black cat was ready. He swung to the side as he had when play fighting with Storm, and Leech slammed into the ground by him. The brown warrior rolled away from Scourge's paw as it swiped at him, leaping back onto his feet. The cat spat and tried to knock out Scourge paws from underneath him with a quick swipe. Scourge backed away and Leech stepped towards him, followed by Dust. Suddenly the two cats jumped at him, and they went rolling in a screeching ball of claws and fur across the alley. Scourge pushed at Leech and the brown tom was thrown off balance, hitting Dust. Scourge took advantage of his opponent's confusion and scored his claws down Leech's side.

The slash went all the way down to Leech's tail. Blood welled out from the gash, and the brown warrior stumbled, then fell to the ground. Scourge watched as the cat writhed in agony, and realized that he only felt mad joy, not horror. He turned and saw Dust picking himself up off of the ground, hissing and spitting. The warrior leapt at Scourge but the small black cat crouched, and reared up as Dust was over him, battering the bigger cat's belly with his hind paw. Dust yowled and tumbled onto the alley floor, chunks of his fur on the ground.

Scourge clawed at Dust's throat, but the warrior turned and ran out of the alley before the black cat could harm him, cursing the small tom. Scourge snarled in triumph and looked at Leech again, and the fierce joy suddenly faded from his mind. There Leech was, his greatest enemy, lying stiffly on the alley floor. The brown cat's green eyes were open, but the furious fire inside them was going out as scarlet liquid drenched the ground. The cut had ripped Leech from head to tail, and the bleeding wouldn't, _couldn't _stop. Leech met Scourge's icy gaze one last time.

"I hope Mint is right," he gasped. "And there _is_ a StarClan." And the furry body went limp.

"Scourge?"

Scourge tensed. It was Razor, probably coming to rip his fur off for insulting him. The black cat heard the golden-brown warrior come up the street and turn into the alley but he couldn't turn away from Leech's body. Then he heard a startled hiss and an intake of breath.

Razor had seen Leech, still and cold on the ground. Suddenly a wave of nausea gripped Scourge. And he fully realized what he had done.

Leech was dead.


	8. Chapter 8

"Scourge?"

Scourge twitched his ear, the myriad teeth on his collar clinking together. "What?" He opened his ice-blue eyes and sat up from where he was curled under the doorway of an abandoned Twoleg nest. There was a silver-gray cat standing hesitantly in front of him, shifting uneasily from paw to paw. The cat's eyes were dark in the glare of sun-high.

"Boulder? What do you want?"

The cat, Boulder, looked around nervously. "I want to see Hawkfeather."

Scourge blinked. "Why him?"

Boulder looked puzzled. "Because he's the clan leader, of course."

"Oh," meowed Scourge. "Why don't you talk to me? I have almost as much power as him."

"I know," snarled Boulder. "That's what I want to talk to Hawkfeather about. He leads BloodClan, not you."

Scourge felt the fur on the back of his neck rise, even though Boulder was huge compared to his still-puny size. "I will be more powerful than him," the warrior hissed. "Already many cats follow me."

"Blood and power is all you care about, Scourge," Boulder spat. "You should let the clan go on like it is supposed to be, without you putting the idea of bloodlust into every cats' head."

"Times change," Scourge meowed defiantly. "The clan needs a new leader."

"Not one like _you_," growled the silver warrior.

With a yowl, Scourge leapt forward and pushed Boulder onto the ground. He agilely ducked under Boulder's paws and unsheathed his claws against the bigger cat's neck. The tips shone unnaturally white; they were tipped with dog's teeth. Boulder let out a hiss and fell backwards onto the ground as the claws pressed to his throat.

"Do not challenge my leadership, Boulder. I will make BloodClan great. We will be stronger than even those forest clans." Scourge turned Boulder's head to look at the top branches of the trees just showing over the Twoleg nests. "I will rule Twolegplace and the forest."

Boulder hissed. "You're insane, Scourge. Ever since the day you came back with Leech's body, you've been different."

Scourge narrowed his eyes. "That was when I realized that I should rule BloodClan. I will be the greatest leader there ever was!"

"What did you say, Scourge?"

Boulder let out his breath as Scourge's ears flattened. The small warrior turned slowly to face the rusty brown tom glaring at him. Razor came up behind the flame colored cat, but although the golden-brown tabby was larger, he seemed pitiful compared to the tom. Boulder squirmed around and stood, then lowered his head in respect.

The tom was Hawkfeather.

The BloodClan leader was old, not as old as Mint, though. Pale red fur was starting to appear on his flame colored pelt. But Hawkfeather's amber eyes shone fiercely with determination and a longing to help his clan. For a heartbeat Scourge wasn't sure that he really should lead BloodClan.

"I-I said that I would be the greatest leader that there ever was." Scourge met Hawkfeather's gaze.

"Really," meowed the BloodClan leader calmly. "I thought that _I _was the leader of this clan."

"Yes," Razor snarled, finally speaking. "But Scourge seems to have forgotten that. He has gotten many of the cats to follow him and his ways already."

"And what ways are those?" Hawkfeather asked slyly.

"I have different ways in battle," mewed Scourge. "I plan to make BloodClan great, and then go into the forest and rule that, too."

Hawkfeather narrowed his eyes. "And how do you plan to do that, when I'm the leader?"

"This is how!"

Scourge felt anger and exhilaration rush through him as he yowled and leaped onto Hawkfeather, claws unsheathed. The BloodClan leader hissed and clawed at Scourge's face. A claw pierced the small warrior's nose and blood spattered into Hawkfeather's eyes. Scourge twisted around and rolled under Hawkfeather, slashing at the cat's belly with his hind paws. The BloodClan leader howled and tumbled back, swiping at Scourge's fur. The black cat jumped forwards, into Hawkfeather's side, and the tabby lost his balance. Scourge held up his paw, and the sunlight reflected off of the dog's teeth. The warrior placed the claws at the edge of Hawkfeather's neck and ripped downward, like he had done with Leech. Hawkfeather screamed in pain as his blood flowed freely onto the ground. Scourge stepped back and watched with satisfaction as the cat's spasms grew weaker and weaker, finally stopping.

Scourge blinked. All of the cats in the clearing had frozen and were staring at him. The warrior looked around for Razor, tensing in case the tabby wanted to fight him. But the golden-brown cat lay still on the ground as well. Bone was standing over the limp body, ripping off a tooth for his collar. Scourge looked back at Hawkfeather, and dug his dogteeth claws into the cat's mouth. He uprooted a fang, like Bone had done, then turned to the staring cats.

"I am your leader now," Scourge meowed. "And Bone is my deputy. I lead BloodClan." The warrior tried the words again. "I lead BloodClan!" They sounded nice.

The BloodClan cats watched their new leader for a heartbeat, then broke out in yowls of shock and admiration. No cat had ever beaten Hawkfeather in a fight before. Scourge nodded, pleased.

Bone walked up to Scourge. "What are you going to do now?"

"Hmm…" Scourge looked around, and noticed Boulder glare at him.

"I'll find a better life in the forest than I ever will here!" the gray cat spat. Bone hissed at the silvery cat, ready to chase him.

"Let him go," spat Scourge. "He's worse than a kittypet." Bone growled, and then nodded. Boulder snarled, and then ran out of the clearing.

Scourge's tail lashed the air, and the small black warrior noticed that the other cats were still staring at him.

"They need a leader," meowed Bone. "You are their leader now."

Scourge raised his head, looking first at the treetops showing over the Twoleg nests and then at the cats. "I, Scourge, am the leader of BloodClan, the greatest Clan there is." The cats howled in agreement, and Scourge continued smugly. "We rule Twolegplace, but is that enough? We must rule the forest as well!"

Cats cheered and yowled as their new leader continued. "When the time is right, we will enter the forest and destroy the other cats who live in there! Then we will be the very most powerful of all!"

The loud meows echoed in the clearing between the abandoned Twoleg nests. Scourge grinned wickedly. He would become the greatest leader there ever was.


	9. Chapter 9

**Last chapter! Because then you basically know what happens from The Darkest Hour. (This is like that book's prologue, but from Scourge's point of view).**

Rain fell steadily, drumming on the roofs of the abandoned Twoleg nests. Scourge sat in a shadowy doorway, watching the cats in BloodClan as they padded through the clearing. He had been the leader of BloodClan for many seasons now, and he enjoyed the power it gave him. Soon he would get a sign that the time was right to invade the forest, and he would become the most powerful of cats.

A noise made Scourge's ears twitch. He looked up, at the entrance to the clearing. Two cats, slick with the rain, were padding into the BloodClan camp. Bone glanced at Scourge before confronting them.

"Who goes there?" the black and white warrior asked. "Identify yourselves. We don't like strangers here."

"Greetings, Bone," meowed one of the cats, a silvery-gray tom. "Remember me?"

Scourge unsheathed his claws onto the ground. How dare this cat return!

Bone's eyes narrowed. "So you've come back, have you, Boulder? You told us you were going to find a better life in the forest. What are you doing here?" He stepped forwards, snarling, but Boulder didn't move. Scourge watched the gray cat with interest.

Boulder unsheathed his claws. "We want to see Scourge."

Bone let out a snort, half laughter and half contempt. "I can't imagine that Scourge will want to see you. And who's this with you? I don't recognize _him_."

The other cat, a huge dark brown tom, stepped forwards. "My name is Tigerstar. I've come from the forest to speak with your leader."

Scourge's ears pricked up. The forest?

Bone looked from Tigerstar to Boulder and back again. "What do you want with him?" he demanded.

The brown tom, Tigerstar, snarled. "I'll discuss that with your leader, not his border patrol."

Bone unsheathed his claws, but Boulder pushed in front of him. "Scourge needs to hear this. It could be to every cat's advantage."

Scourge flicked his dark tail back and forth with interest. What did this Tigerstar cat have to say to him, especially if Boulder would risk coming back to BloodClan?

Bone hesitated for a few heartbeats, but stepped back to let the cats pass. He glared at them as they padded by.

Tigerstar pushed in front of Boulder. Scourge watched the two cats approach. The big brown tom looked around the BloodClan camp, in confusion. No doubt he was looking for a warrior even bigger than Bone. Scourge's whiskers twitched in dry amusement.

Boulder nudged Tigerstar and jerked his head in Scourge's direction. "There's Scourge."

"_That's_ Scourge?" The exclamation rang above the falling rain. BloodClan cats turned to looked at Tigerstar. "He's no bigger than an apprentice!" Scourge narrowed his eyes.

"Shh!" hissed Boulder. "This may not be a Clan as we know it, but these cats would kill if their leader ordered them to."

Scourge stood slowly. The BloodClan cats watched him, waiting for an order to tear the intruders apart. The small black tom raised his white paw for a moment, enjoying the power he had over the others. "It seems I have visitors," he meowed coolly. "I wasn't expecting to see you again, Boulder. I heard you'd gone to live in the forest."

"Yes, Scourge, I have."

"So what are you doing here?" asked Scourge. "Have you changed your mind and come crawling back? Do you expect me to welcome you?" He stretched his claws out lazily, but still with a hint of threat. Lamplight glittered off of them unnaturally - they were reinforced with dog's teeth.

Boulder met Scourge's ice-blue gaze. "No, Scourge. It's a good life in the forest. There is plenty of fresh-kill, no Twolegs-."

Scourge interrupted him with a flick of his tail. "You haven't come to extol the virtues of forest life. Squirrels live in trees, not cats." The warrior narrowed his eyes. "So what do you want?"

The brown tabby, Tigerstar, stepped forward, shouldering Boulder aside. "I am Tigerstar, leader of ShadowClan," he growled. "And I have a proposition for you."

**Finish!!! Review it, reivew it please!  
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